MERS Transmission and Prevention
While MERS, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), is clearly a virulent illness and has some capacity to be transmitted between humans, the precise elements necessary for the spread of the disease are not yet clear. It seems that some individuals are more capable of transmitting the virus than others. An outbreak of MERS on the Arabian Peninsula in 2012 has spread to include approximately 800 people, about 30 percent of whom have died.Many health care workers have contracted the illness and some have apparently spread the illness unwittingly through improper sterilization or international travel. Those living with, and caring for, infected patients at home are also at greater risk of developing the virus. So far, however, there is no evidence of MERS spreading throughout the community.
Transmission of MERS
After investigating this outbreak in Saudi Arabia, health officials concluded that it was the result of breaches in infection control measures in healthcare settings. Efforts are currently underway to maximize and standardize methods of prevention and disease control in the Middle East. While air samples collected from a camel barn in Saudi Arabia have tested positive for a strain of MERS, proving that viral particles may be airborne, scientists are hesitant to conclude without further validation that MERS is actually transmitted through the air.
While the vast majority of MERS cases have been detected in Saudi Arabia and adjacent countries, there have been some cases reported in Asia, Europe and the United States. Two cases of MERS have appeared in the United States in 2014, first in Indiana and subsequently in Florida. Both cases have been linked to the Middle East.
In May, 2014, a third case of MERS was reported in an Illinois man who had had two business meetings with the patient from Indiana. Within less than 2 weeks, however, this case was determined to have been misdiagnosed as a result of a false positive test of the man's blood.
The CDC has recently been able to confirm that, in the United States, the MERS virus has not been transmitted to household members, healthcare workers or fellow travelers. These people, who had contact with infected patients, have tested negative for both active infections and the presence of antibodies. This is reassuring, demonstrating that the risk of contagion in this country at the present time is very small.
Tracking MERS
Although The World Health Organization Emergency Committee has decided that the virus does not yet meet the standards of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), MERS is now under serious investigation by scientists all over the world. It is especially difficult to track the spread of MERS because the incubation period may stretch to 2 weeks. Vigorous efforts are being made to contain the virus at its early stages before it has a chance to reach pandemic proportions. The good news is that hundreds of patients have recovered from the MERS virus since 2012.
Prevention of MERS
While there is no vaccine yet available to treat the MERS virus, research is underway to develop one as quickly as possible. The following methods of preventing the spread of the illness are advised:
- Wash hands frequently for at least 20 seconds
- Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Cover the nose and mouth with a tissue when sneezing or coughing
- Avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
- Avoid close contact or shared utensils with anyone showing signs of illness
- Disinfect common surfaces, such as doorknobs, frequently
These rules of sanitation are useful in preventing the spread of any contagious disease and are best followed at all times.